The Old Wives' Tale (1908)

Very enjoyable, an interesting plot of intersecting lives of two sisters who forged different destinies. Seemed quite modern, or ahead of its time, I would've assumed it was decades newer than it is. ( )

Very enjoyable, an interesting plot of intersecting lives of two sisters who forged different destinies. Seemed quite modern, or ahead of its time, I would've assumed it was decades newer than it is. ( )

Very enjoyable, an interesting plot of intersecting lives of two sisters who forged different destinies. Seemed quite modern, or ahead of its time, I would've assumed it was decades newer than it is. ( )

Very enjoyable, an interesting plot of intersecting lives of two sisters who forged different destinies. Seemed quite modern, or ahead of its time, I would've assumed it was decades newer than it is. ( )

Sitting in a restaurant in Paris, Arnold Bennett observed a woman whom he described as grotesque and ridiculous. But like a writer will, he imagined the course of events in the woman’s life that might have brought her to that moment. He imagined a young and charming woman whose life was met with tragedy. In his ruminations he thought, “that the change from the young girl to the stout aging woman is made up of an infinite number of infinitesimal changes, each unperceived by her.” The novel that followed is [The Old Wives’ Tale].

Bennett’s tale recounts Sophia and Constance’s lives from their young lives in their father’s shop through to the end, each following very different paths. Sophia runs away to Paris with a traveling salesman who turns out to be a real rascal. Constance marries and takes over her father’s shop with her husband.

The shifting chronology of the narrative is genius, dashing assumptions with later revelations. But Bennett’s real genius is in his uber-complete characterizations of the two girls. The non-linear narrative and minute examination of the two main characters provides just what Bennett set out to create – a complete story of a life. [The Old Wives’ Tale] is a surprise, as this is a book that is not in the literary mainstream any longer but has much to offer those who get off the beaten path.

Bottom Line: Detailed examination of a life lived and a surprise for those who’ve never heard of it.

4 bones ½ !!!! ( )